MIES (Switzerland) - The Round of 16 tips off this week, and the BCL Fantasy game is still offering you plenty of rewards if you manage to outsmart others. It sounds easy if you have Hunter Hale on your team.

Plenty of BCL clubs waited for the New Year's break to give them a symbolic chance to turn the page and start over again. Promitheas Patras are that kind of team, but even if they aren't exactly cruising in the Greek League, one of their main guys is beginning to look unstoppable.

Hunter Hale is a lefty shooter with a masters degree in making tough jumpers on demand. His 2024 has been superb so far, reaching double figures in all five of Promitheas' games in all competitions in January, also scoring 41 points over two Play-In games against Le Mans Sarthe Basket in the BCL.

He came into the BCL with a well-known reputation in the Balkans. Hale spent his previous two seasons in the Adriatic League, earning his spot in Borac Cacak's rotations, and finishing as the top scorer of the ABA League in 2022-23.

That ice-cold left hand of his brought Borac 22.3 points per game, and it wasn't random number-chasing in meaningless games. The tougher they got, the better he was. Hale saved Borac in the Relegation Playoffs, putting up 31 points and 5 assists per game in the 2-1 series win over Helios Suns from Slovenia.

It was obvious Borac could not keep him in Serbia for much longer. Promitheas were the ones with the best offer to lure him in, and after a slow start, he needed the New Year to find a new (old) version of himself .

 
The first battle in the Round of 16 is one that Hale will enjoy all to well. That's because Promitheas are at home against their compatriots, AEK BETSSON BC, making this the second time AEK are visiting their arena this season.

The first duel was in the Greek League, Promitheas emerged victorious (100-95) behind a season-best game by their shooting guard. Hale scored 32 points against AEK, on 11-of-19 shooting from the field, with 6 assists also to his name.

The BCL Fantasy game is all about efficiency, so let's point out that Hale reached the 30 efficiency mark the first time he saw AEK this season. His season-best efficiency is 35 against PAOK mateco, one of eight Greek League games in which he climbed north of the 20-point efficiency rating.

He knows the scenery, he knows the opponent and he's off to a great start in 2024. Hunter Hale could make it rain once again, that kind of Hale-storm could save your BCL Fantasy season and earn you bragging rights in the common weekly, rare weekly, BCL Round of 16 public leagues, or in the private leagues you created with your rivals.

There will be a lot of Greece v Greece, Germany v Germany, France v France matchups during the Round of 16. That's your hint to follow the domestic matchups and find your Hale, a player who already put up big numbers against the same opponent in another competition.